The Queen has paid tribute to her family for their support through her 50-year reign.

Speaking to an audience of about 700 guests at the Guildhall in London, she also thanked the nation for the warmth of the Jubilee celebrations.

The lunch was attended by dignitaries including Prime Minister Tony Blair, who praised the Queen's dedication to service.

I think we can all look back with measured pride on the history of the last 50 years

The Queen

Meanwhile an afternoon of parades began with 2,000 performers from the Notting Hill Carnival trooping through the Mall.

Princes Charles, William and Harry were the first royals to greet thousands of well-wishers while hundreds of community groups took part in the colourful procession.

Earlier, a service of thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral, where a congregation of royals, dignitaries and representatives of charities and professions gathered to honour the Queen's service to the country.

Jubilee timetable

15.35: Queen arrives back in the Mall 15.50: Queen takes seat on Royal Dais 15.53: Processions begin 17.40: Balcony appearance 17.55: Fly-past

At the Guildhall lunch, the Queen praised her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and said: "We both of us have a special place in our hearts for our children.

"I want to express my admiration for the Prince of Wales and for all he has achieved for this country.

"Our children, and all my family, have given me such love and unstinting help over the years, and especially in recent months."

	:	Jubilee celebrations
In pictures: Cheering on the Queen

She also said she had been "overwhelmed" and "deeply moved" by the public response to her Golden Jubilee.

The three words of "gratitude, respect and pride," summed up her feelings for the nation, she added.

"I think we can all look back with measured pride on the history of the last 50 years," she said.

'Devoted service'

Mr Blair paid tribute to the Queen's commitment to serving others and said: "To adapt, to remain stoical and, above all, to unify this nation in these 50 years and be loved for doing it is indeed remarkable."

"It is not only the quantity of your reign we are celebrating today, it is the quality," he added.

The Mall has become a sea of colour

The Lord Mayor of London said he was in awe of "your Majesty's achievements of 50 years of unremitting and devoted service".

The Crown and the City enjoyed an important relationship, because the latter provided "the sinews of war and the ornaments of peace".

And he described the Queen as a "rock of stability in sometimes stormy sea".

As the parades - set to include 20,000 performers - got underway, the members of the Notting Hill Carnival procession were followed by the Chicken Shed children's theatre group.

They will also include the world's largest, 5,000-strong, gospel choir and a fly-past.

Other senior royals greeting the crowds on a walkabout included Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who accompanied their father the Duke of York.

Prince William was in demand on the walkabout

The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, her husband Commodore Timothy Laurence and her son Peter Phillips were also there, along with Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

During the earlier service of thanksgiving, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, paid tribute to the Queen's "steadfastness" and "dedication".

About 700,000 people gathered in central London to greet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they made the journey to the cathedral from Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.

The celebratory mood of Tuesday's pageantry followed a pop concert and fireworks at Buckingham Palace on Monday night.